Vanderbilt Introduces New Head Football Coach Derek Mason

Banana Stock/Getty Images(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Vanderbilt has been an up-and-coming program in recent years with James Franklin as the team's head football coach. With Franklin now at Penn State, the program has turned to Derek Mason to keep their momentum going in the SEC.

Mason had spent the previous four years as Stanford's defensive coordinator. He's learned under two successful head coaches during that time, Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw.

This is Mason's first head-coaching job.

"This job means everything to me," Mason said. "This is where I want to be, this is where I plan on spending the rest of my career. We will win. Make sure of that. Make no doubts about that. I understand what college football's all about. It's about winning, and you hired a winner for sure."

Vanderbilt went 4-20 combined from 2009-2010, but went 24-16 under Franklin combined over the past three seasons.

The school has also finished in the final Associated Press polls the past two seasons, something they haven't done previously since 1948.